Sportsnaut
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs seemingly jeopardized his future with the team after a video emerged of him holding a pink substance and giving it to some women around him. With mandatory OTAs underway, it appears the team has made its decision.
On this week’s The Insiders podcast, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said that the Patriots have no plans to release Diggs and they plan on him being a key part of their offense this season.
Related: Patriots insider explains how Stefon Diggs might’ve kept spot on team
“Stefon Diggs showing up today felt about as mandatory as can be.… Him showing up, him getting in line and expressing what he needed to express to the team right to their faces was all good things. My understanding is the team does not plan to cut Stefon Diggs. He is a very good player. They intend to pay him a lot of money. They haven’t yet. … This is a player they want to keep and want to be making plays for them. That’s why they signed him in free agency to such fanfare.”
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Stefon Diggs’s future with the new England Patriots
Scott Zolak of 98.5 The Sports Hub, a former Patriots quarterback (1991-’98), claimed over the weekend that New England releasing Diggs was very much on the table. However, neither beat reporters nor NFL insiders with ties to the team backed up that report.
The Patriots’ organization was certainly displeased with Diggs, with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated highlighting that a big part of the issue stemmed from Diggs’ poor decision-making and judgment. However, the four-time Pro Bowl receiver showed up to mandatory OTAs on Monday and his job appears safe.
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This isn’t a decision based on the money either. While New England signed Diggs to a three-year deal worth $69 million, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted the contract included language that protected the team. If Diggs was waived before he was physically cleared to practice, the Patriots could have gotten out of the deal.
With Diggs staying on the Patriots roster, focus now shifts back to when he can play. After suffering an ACL tear in Week 8 last season, the veteran wideout will miss most of the summer. However, per Chad Graff of The Athletic, there’s hope within the organization that Diggs will make his Patriots’ debut in Week 4.
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